Stroud shines the spotlight on the silent thief of sight

AS PART of World Glaucoma Week (March 11-18), Stroud played host to an event on Tuesday, March 13, which helped raise awareness of the eye disease.

Organised by Specsavers in conjunction with the International Glaucoma Association (IGA), the event aimed to highlight how glaucoma, if left undetected, can lead to sight loss, and that prompt diagnosis is crucial to effective management.

The Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), kindly donated use of their NHS info bus and passers-by were able to come in and chat to representatives as well as ask any questions they might have.

Often symptomless in its early stages, glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible sight loss.

It is thought to affect 700,000 people in the UK today, but as many as 50 per cent of cases are undiagnosed.

"This was a perfect opportunity for us to engage with local people and raise awareness of glaucoma and how it’s treated," says Riz Choonara, store director and optometrist from Specsavers Stroud.

"Early detection is key, therefore regular eye tests are hugely important to ensure it is picked up and treated more effectively, which is mostly done with eye drops. We had some great interaction with the community who asked lots of questions and hopefully went away with more of an understanding about the condition."

Also on the bus was Eryl Williams, of the IGA, who said: "We're delighted to be working with Specsavers to be raising awareness in glaucoma. Regular eye tests really matter."

In conjunction with the IGA, Specsavers has developed some training for its retail teams to assist glaucoma sufferers with their treatment.

Specifically, they will be advising on how to effectively administer eye drops, which are crucial for managing the condition.

"We are very proud to be supporting the IGA and being able to better support our customers with the condition is a really positive development," continues Riz.

"Our store is such a big part of the community and it is important to us that we can provide the very best service to our customers as well as supporting people with the condition in the most effective way possible."

The training is being rolled out across Specsavers stores nationwide and complements the skills held by Specsavers’ optometrists, who have collectively completed almost 5,000 postgraduate glaucoma accreditations since 2017, through a variety of accrediting bodies including Cardiff University and the College of Optometrists.

Karen Osborn, chief executive of the IGA, says: "The majority of people who are diagnosed early with glaucoma will retain useful sight for life. Most will be treated with medical eye drops. Unfortunately, we know from calls to our helpline that many people aren’t told about how to put the drop in the eye correctly, or aren’t advised about the aids that are available to help them. We are delighted to work with Specsavers on this often over-looked aspect of glaucoma management."

To find out more about glaucoma or to book an appointment, pop into Specsavers at 22 King Street, Stroud, call 01453 766601 or visit specsavers.co.uk/stores/stroud